Making a Stand
by Alexandra Granger1
Summary: It's five years after Ginny graduates from Hogwarts and she gets a job. But what happens when Mrs. Sulucas, the strict boss, finds out she wasn't excactly following the rules?
1. Intro

Making a Stand  
Chapter One: Intro  
  
Ginny sat upon her leather sofa in her house in a town called Hogwash. It was summer, and a hot one at that, even though it was merely 9 o' clock in the morning. She attempted to part contact with the pine-tree colored couch, but it stuck to the backs of her legs. It was too hot out to wear robes.  
She freed herself and staggered over to the bookshelves full of magical spells. It had been five years since she had left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and, in a poetry contest winning, won enough Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts to last her quite a while. She was aware her parents could barely afford their house, let alone the people in it, so she considered the fact with them and moved, though not very far.  
She had gotten a job in Diagon Alley, helping Manage the Magical Menagerie. She was quite good with animals.  
She reached in and pulled out a book called "Temperature Trouble and Weather Worries". She opened it and turned to a certain page. Waving her wand, she brought about a spell that cooled down her house. Thinking it would be an igloo when she returned, she stepped outside.  
The warmth penetrated her skin and reached inside her, and she hopped on a broomstick, nothing special, and sped off.  
Getting a true bird's-eye view of the villages below, clouds on either side of her, she liked it more and more as she went. A while later, she looked down. Diagon Alley! She would miss it if she did not land now!  
She landed with quite an impact, but was all right. She walked down the cobblestone street and reached the Magical Menagerie. And she could not believe who she saw.  
  
  



	2. Just Friends?

Making a Stand  
Chapter Two: Just Friends?  
  
There stood, in front of her, the famous, good, great, Harry Potter, the excact boy whom she thought would never like her. In his hands he held a limp white owl.  
"Hedwig!" Ginny murmured. She did not know whether to go up to him or make sure he did not see her. She decided quickly and immediently took her place behind the counter. Harry was first to say something.  
"Ginny?"  
"Er, yeah, and Harry, it's been.. how many years? ..Oh.. Forget it, forget it, what's wrong with..?  
"She collapsed on a delivery!" he handed her Hedwig.  
Ginny held Hedwig's chest up to her ear. Her heart was beating, but only just. Her eyes were closed, her breath faint, and feathers ruffles.  
"How old is she?"  
"Thirteen, about..."  
"Oh, Harry.. hang on.." She sped off through a door marked "Employees Only".  
There were potions all over the shelves in large viles, in alphabetical order. She looked around frantically under "O" and gasped. All the potions for Hedwig's case were gone!  
"I'm really, really, sorry, Harry!" she said, popping out one door and into another, this one marked "Mrs. Sulucas".  
A stern looking woman with her gray hair drawn in a bun at the back of her neck sat at a desk with her hands locked together.  
"Mrs. Sulucas! Do we have any, er."  
"Owl potions?" she inquired, in a low, almost croaky voice.  
"Yes, yes!"  
"We only have enough for our own."  
"But we need one for a customer's!" she exasperatedley.  
"We will get another shipment next week."  
"But one is needed now!"  
"I'm sorry, dear. Now run along."  
Ginny's face turned red. She hated to be treated like a child, especially when her boss was. Oh well, she thought, too bad, Mrs. Sulucas. She went out of the office and ducked under the counted, Harry watching suspiciously.  
"Accio potion!" she whispered.  
red bottle rushed into her hands.   
"What are you doing?" Harry asked.  
"Er, tying my shoe."  
"But you're wearing sand--"  
"Here you go!" she handed him the bottle. She looked at Hedwig's chest. It was not moving up and down anymore. She took Hedwig and held her, again, up to her ear.  
"Oh no!"  
"What?" Harry asked.  
"She's not br--" but, seeing the pained look on Harry's face, did not continue. He was losing a friend, a real friend, and she would not stand for it. What was she doing? It was her job to prevent this sort of thing!"  
"She opened Hedwig's beak ever so gently with her thumb and forefinger ever so gently.  
"Harry, the potion?"  
"Right." he handed her the red bottle.  
She opened it and allowed three drops to trickle down Hedwig's throat.  
"The effect should come about immediently," she said. Seeing it did not, she dropped three more down her throat.  
Hedwig stirred.  
She opened her large, oceany-blue eyes and whimpered a note, such a note they had not heard in a long time.  



	3. The Worst is Yet to Come

Making a Stand  
Chapter Three: The Worst is Yet to Come  
  
"GINNY!"  
Gulp. Ginny turned around. Everyone in the shop was staring at her, but most angrily was Mrs. Sulucas.  
"Yes, ma'am?"  
"You're--  
In the millisecond space between that word and the one to come, thoughts rushed through Ginny's mind-- What will mum say? Where do I go to get another job? Why is she firing me? I saved Hedwig's life--  
--FIRED!"  
"Yes, ma'am." She hung her head. Mrs. Sulucas flew back into her office and slammed the door so hand the owl cages shook on the walls.  
The customers stared.  
"I'm sorry I costed you your job," Harry said. "I'll regret it."  
"No you won't," Ginny said firmly. "If I hadn't taken that potion, it would have costed Hedwig's life." She held Hedwig, who was alert and looking about, gave her one last look, and transferred her into Harry's arms. "And keep the potion," she said, "and don't have her deliver. You can borrow one of the owls here, or a friend's, instead."  
"How much is it, then?" Harry asked, reaching into his pocket.  
"No, no," Ginny said, "No charge. See you, then.:  
  
* * *  
  
Ginny returned home, with a lump in her throat, but not daring to even think about regretting what she had done. She considered getting a job at Eyelops' Owl Emporium. No, she thought, I'll make a stand. I'll show that sea snake, Mrs. Sulucas...  
  
  
  



	4. Never Underestimate the Power of Magic

Making a Stand  
Chapter Four: Never Underestimate the Power of Magic...  
  
The next day, Ginny got up in her refrigerator of a house and got dressed, only to remember that she was unemployed. She gulped. Unemployed. Just the sound of it made her throat form a lump.  
She remembered her mother, and how disappointed she would be when she heard the news.  
Then she remembered Mrs. Sulucas.  
Just the thought of that rat made her fume.  
Her wand in her pocket sharted vibrating. "What's this?" Ginny murmured. She picked it up and a voice came from it.  
"Ginny! I heard what happened from Harry and he feels really bad-- Hedwig is ok though-- and I wanted to help, you know, get your job back."  
"What?"  
"Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know, sorry-- it's Hermione."  
"You don't sound like Herm--"  
"Oh, that's what Harry told me," Hermione said with a giggle. "But we want to help! Ron, too. And all of your brothers."  
"D-does my mum know?"  
"Oh, probably not. Fred and George want to revolt, though. They'll sure be first on the picket line. Meet us thoday, outside the Menagerie.  
"I'll come on my broomstick."  
"All right, look for a bunch of readheads-- and one black one, of course."  
OK, I'm on my way, bye!" and Ginny set her wand back into her pocket.  
  
* * *  
  
She rode over Diagon Alley, about fifty feet above, and looked down. Sure enough, a bunch of orange dots were waving at her.  
Ginny landed. Ron was still tall and gangling, Bill and Charlie were there too, Percy looking, again, like the self-elected most-dignified-wizard-on-the-face-of-the-earth, and Fred and George with a bunch of wooden signs with stuff on it like "Down with Sulucas" and "Work or Bust".  
"Ron!" Ginny cried. "Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy!" She looked at the tall, dark-haired someone standing there as well. "Harry!" They hugged her, Percy using one arm as not to dirty up his robes.  
"Where's Hermione?"  
"Here I am!""What?" Ginny looked around. On the other side of Harry stood Hermione, not looking like Hermione in the least. Well, her hair changed. It was rather fluffy, and rather auburn.  
"Hermione, your hair..?"  
"Got in the way of a spell. I wish I hadn't!"  
"It's just f--"  
"Hey!" shouted Fred. "Are we revolting or what?"  
"You certainly are quite revolting, Percy said huffily.  
"Oh, shut up, Percy," said George. "Go on, then! Down with Sulucas!" Passerby stared.  
"Yes, you keep doing that, all of you. Me, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny'll go inside," said Ron.  
They entered and everyone else (except Percy) picked up a sign.  
"Vot iz it choo vant?" she said in a bored tone. Then she saw Harry's scar.  
"Harry! Harry Potter! Don' choo remember me?"  
Harry wrinkled his brow. "Fleur?"  
She ran out from behind the counter and flung her long, slim arms around him. "You saved Gabrielle! I remember is like it vas yesterday!"  
"Yes, well, ahem," said Harry, staring down her back and slightly dazed. Hermione rolled her eyes and Ginny went pink.  
"Where is Mrs. Sulucas? It is quite important..." Harry said.  
"I vill vetch her." Fleur glided through the door with Sulucas' name on it.  
Mrs. Sulucas came out, and her expression was different than the day before. She was rosy and smiling. "May I help y--" her expression changed quickly. "Ginny? What are you doing here?"  
"I want to know why you fired me.  
"Oh," Mrs. Sulucas began. "You wouldn't unders--""I will perfectly well understand!" said Ginny wholeheartedly, banging her fist on the counter. treat me like a child, you have mistaken who the child her really is."  
"How dare you say that!"  
"How dare you fire me," Ginny replied coolly. "Why did you do so?"  
"You used the store's personal potion!" Mrs. Sulucas shouted. "Wht else do you think?"  
"I saved this owl's life," said Ginny, pointing to Healthy Hedwig on Harry's shoulder.  
"Even so--"  



	5. The Dream

Making a Stand  
Chapter Five: The Dream  
  
"I don't know what came over me.""You did the right thing, Ginny."  
"Hermione, in your lifetime, you've done everything right. You're perfect. Look at me. I am a disgrace to you and lucky you helped me."  
"That's not true, Ginny."  
Ginny opened her eyes after a long shut. She was at her house, lying on her sofa. Hermione was looking over at her on a chair.  
"But, but, my mum... she's bound to know, by now..."  
"Settle down, Ginny. Would you like some tea?"  
"Rum, please. Three should do it."  
"No, no! Don't drink to forget!"  
"See?" Ginny moaned. "You're perfect."  
"No," argued Hermione, "but I make good tea." She was over at the stove stirring with her wand. "Sugar Cream?"  
"Please," Ginny croaked.  
Hermione snuck a shot of butterbeer into the mug, and some sleeping powder. "It should help you feel better," she said.  
It did.  
"Wow, this is terrific, Hermione," Ginny said. "But I feel a little.. you don't mind if I.."  
"Go right ahead, Gin."  
"All right then." She yawned.  
*Snooore*....  
  
* * *  
  
She was in a pretty green valley. It seemed the middle of spring and a comfortable warm breeze swirled all about. The sky was a delightful rich blue and the clouds were fluffy and looked like splashed of paint all about the sky. In the middle was a large Weeping Willow and a pond with leaping frogs on lilypads.  
She walked towards the tree. She could hear birds chirping all about and it comforted her more. It was beautiful and she never wanted to go home.  
She sat under the shade of the tree. Just then, the Golden Snitch flew out of nowhere into Ginny's hands. Then a man with eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad and hair as dark as a blackboard rode over on a broom.  
"Which team are YOU on?" he asked.  
"Harry?" she questioned.  
"Harry is not a team. Do I know you, miss?"  
"Well--"  
"I must go, miss. The team is waiting." He took the Snitch and rode away. On the back of his robes bore the word "England".  
"Wait!"  
But wait he did not.  
Suddenly, a ginger cat walked over to her.  
"Your mum knows," it cackled.  
"Crookshanks?" Ginny asked.  
"What are you talking about, silly girl?"  
"What does my mum know?"  
"Everything," the cat replied.  
"What?"  
"You being fired. Breaking Sulucas' wand. Making a big fuss."  
"H-how?"  
"Someone snitched!" It cackled.  
"Who?"  
The cat continued laughing. Then it changed shape. Smaller. Shinier.  
The Golden Snitch! Ginny recognized. It changed smoothly into Mrs. Sulucas.  
"You naughty, n girl you!" It said. "Go to your room!"  
"S-someone snitched," Ginny murmured.  
"They certainly did!" Then she disappeared.  
The birds' chirping, the frogs' ribbiting, the sound and feel of the warm breeze all faded away. The cat's cackling in the background started again, and creepy voices surrounded her.  
"They snitched.. They snitched.. The Golden Snitch..." they said.  
wait"They snitched.. They snitched.. The Golden Snitch... They snitched.. They snitched.. The Golden Snitch... They snitched.. They snitched.. The Golden Snitch..."  
The cat's cackling got louder still. Then Mrs. Sulucas' voice was heard.  
"Ginny, you naughty, naughty girl! Ginny! Ginny! Ginny! Ginny.. Ginny.."  
"Ginny! Ginny!" Hermione was shaking Ginny for her to get up. "Ginny! You were having a bad dream."  
"What? Eh? Oh, no!"  
"What's the matter?"  
"Mum knows!" Ginny groaned.  
"Does she?"  
"Yes, yes!"  
"But how?" Hermione asked.  
"It said so.. in my dream.. There was this pretty place.. with this tree.. and then the Snitch came from up there.. Harry didn't know me.. Crookshanks, either.. And Mrs. Sulucas was there too.. And they said, 'They snitched, they snitched, the Golden Snitch'.. over and over... and..." Ginny trailed of.  
"Ginny," said Hermione, "calm down, go on.."  
"I've," Ginny growled, "Got enough things to deal with now, thank you very much..." She sighed.  



End file.
